Over 20 years of writing about my club in Barnet matchday programmes, which sold to about 500 souls on a good day, now with this Blog Site everyone can read my ramblings, memories, interviews, experiences, features, guides to away grounds and pure love of everything Barnet Football Club. Enjoy and digest and tell your friends.
Reckless - Potters Bar March 2014.
Oh Yes, thank you to"Al" without whom.......that is all

John
Leonard Still needs no introduction to Bees fans as he was manager at
Underhill from June 1997 to February 2002. John's playing career
ended at the age of 26 due a knee injury but he has been a successful
coach and gaffer for over 35 years with notably Peterborough,
Maidstone United, Dagenham & Redbridge, Barnet and Luton Town. He
re joined the Daggers in January. He masterminded two Football
League Play-Offs while with Barnet plus Luton Town's Maidstone
United's and Dagenham & Redbridge's promotions to the Football
League.

Brief
Directions by Road

I once
found a nice and straightforward way to get to the ground courtesy of
the now sadly relocated Al’s Tours. Get onto the A12 from either
the A406 North Circular Road or the M11 signposted towards
Chelmsford. Continue on the A12 until you reach the Moby Dick
junction and turn right onto the A1112 signposted Dagenham. Stay on
this road even when it insects with the A124 keep looking for the
A112 (Rainham Road) signs. You will eventually see the floodlights on
the right hand side. Turn into Victoria Road and the ground is at the
end of the road.

Car
Parking

There is a
large car park for around 140 cars at the ground but this gets full
about an hour before kick off and now possibly by invitation only.
Ample free parking is available in the surrounding streets.

Directions
by Train

Take the
District (green) Underground line to Dagenham East. Come out of
station and turn Left, Victoria Road is about 400 yards and on your
left, the ground is a further 100 yards down Victoria Road.

Eating
and Drinking Locally

We will be
made welcome in the Dagenham & Redbridge Social Club. The
downstairs bar is where most of the away supporters tend to head and
there is a charge of £1.00 at the door. For pubs the Pipe Major is a
Marstons outlet close to the station while the Eastbrook is a short
walk down the Rainham Road.

THE EASTBROOK

Ground
Description

The main
stand or the Carling Stand which replaced the splendid old wooden
grandstand runs for 3/4 of the pitch and was completed in the closed
season 2001. It is a fairly low front loading structure, which has
room for about 800. Its awkward neighbour which occupies the
remaining 1/4 of this side is called the Family Stand. To the left is
The Traditional Builders Stand which was
completed in 2009. It houses the away fans and has room for 1,200.
The structure dominates the ground and the views from it are
excellent. The remainder of the ground is terrace with the open Bury
or Clock End behind the goal and the Popular Side covered terrace
opposite the main stand.

Admission
Prices Adults
£21, Concessions £15,

Previous
Meetings and Memories

I
go back a long time for visit to Victoria Road. Our last visit was in
December 2012 when in was a cold turkey of day after a 0-1 defeat.

I recall
‘Mad’ Stevie Ragan the fearless Barnet frontman in the early
1980’s creating a divot the size of Essex after a sliding tackle
and then throwing it at a section of Daggers fans who dared to taunt
him – brave boys indeed. The Dagenham tannoy announcer informing
the crowd that Cyril Regis and Glen Hoddle were in the starting
line-up for Barnet and not their younger brothers David and Carl.

At
Underhill in 2004 the 5-0 demolition of the Daggers featured the
Nicky Bailey “Bees Goal of the Season” screamer live on Sky TV.

STEVE RAGAN AT DAGENHAM

Celebrity
Watch

Very
tasty 1960’s ‘Puppet On A String’ barefoot babeSandy
Shaw was born in Dagenham. Football’s famous is well represented
with two ex England managers originating from Dagenham - Terry
Venables and the late great Sir Alf Ramsey.

THE PICTURE ON MY CEILING AS A KID

Interesting
Info

The most
famous marching Band in the civilised world are also locals, The
Dagenham Girl Pipers who were the only un-amplified act at the
Knebworth Open Air Rock Festival in 1978!

Henry
Ford’s company bought acres and acres of land in Dagenham in the
early 1920’s and in 1925 started to build the massive car plant
still in existence. The metal to build the roofing covering the side
terracing at the Victoria ground was donated by Ford in 1967 and it
was estimated that there was enough metal to produce 23 Ford Capris.